Printing-press.



N0.729,6ss. "PATENTED JUNE 2 M. L. SEVERY & G. s. HEATH.

PRINTING PRESS. APPL IOATION FILED 5311,30, 1900.

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Melvin L. Sew

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' PRINTING PRESS.

. APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1900. X0 MODEL. QSHEBTS-SHEBTR.

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PRINTING PRESS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1900.

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No. 729,683; PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

M. L. SBVERY a e. s. HEATH.

PRINTING PRESS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1900" no MODEL. '4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

.Wi f hesses; I Inwhlfirs, I Mlvin L Se've'ry, y W George S. Hkafii; by

UNITED STATES- Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

MELVIN L. SEVERY, OF ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, AND GEORGE S. HEATH, OF

REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO AUTOMATIC TYMPAN COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF NEV YORK.

PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,683, dated June 2, 1903. Application filed April 30, 1900. Serial No. 14,922. (No model.)

To Ml whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that we, MELVIN L. SEVERY, a resident of Arlington Heights, county of Middlesex, and GEORGE S. HEATH, a resident of Revere, county of Sufiolk, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Presses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

One of the most difficult features in the art of printing is the production of sufficient printing pressureat every part of the printing-surface, the trouble arising from the unavoidable unevenness of the latter. This difficulty is usually attempted to be overcome V results of perfecting the printing without any;

recourse to such overlay or make-ready or with less recourse thereto, such blanket performing this function by meansof anim pression surface constituted by a multiplicity of independently-yielding points. Our invention has the same object in view; but our aim is to produce a blanket which shall be much thinner than the 1895 Severy blanket, and sobettcr adapted for application to oldstyle presses without the requirement of alteration or adjustment in the latter., To this end we have invented a blanket constituted by a multiplicity of independently-yielding narrow lineal areas disposed Without regard to the elements of the printing-surface.

Referring to the drawings forming part of the specification, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a cylindrical impression member provided with our blanket. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of our blanket, shown as Hat and coacting with a cylindrical printing-surface.

,sociated therewith.

Fig. 4. is a face view' reaching it. Fig. 8 is a transversesection of the same. Fig.9 is a plan view of a modification of the blanket, showing the slots ar ranged out of parallel to each other. Fig. 10 is a face view of a portion of an impression-cylinder having our preferred form of blanket applied thereto. Figs. 11 and 12 are transverse sections of other modifications of our invention. Fig. 13 is a front view of either of the constructions illustrated'in Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. 14 is a longitudinal section of either of said constructions. Fig. 15 is a transverse view of our impression-surface provided with a fluid-pressure support; and Fig. 161's aface view, partly in section, of the same construction.

ln the preferred form of the invention, that shown in Fig. 1, 5 designates the cylindrical support of the impression-surface, and 20 is the cylindrical printing surface or form as- The impression-surface is constituted by the sheet 2, of moderately hard and flexible material-such as cellu loicl, pressboard, or metalthin sheet-brass being the preferable material. Said metal sheet is cut into a multiplicity of narrow elements or lineal areas 1 by means of the slits or slots 3, extending parallel with each other, and the underlying cushion for this sheet preferably consists of a uniformly elastic or resilient cushion, such as the sheet of soft rubber 10, introduced between said sheet 1 and the cylinder 5.

The theoretically-preferable construction of an impressiomsurface constituted by a multiplicity of independent lineal areas is that illustrated in Figs. 11 to 14, where such surface is shown as comprising a large number of narrow straps or wires laid side by side on the cushion-covered cylinder 5 and independently yielding throughout their entire lengths; but inasmuch as it is frequently necessary to remove and replace the impression-surface in order to change from an old to a new cushion or for other purposes the accurate return of the said wires or straps is quite difficult, and the slit-sheet construction above described is much the more practical.

In constructing the preferred form of impression-surface (illustrated in Fig. 1) we do not have the slits 3 extend the entire dimension of the sheet 2, but onlya short distance each. In other words, each slit is preferably between one and two inches in length, being separated from the next in line therewith by a brief uncut space or neck 3*. Moreover, these necks are staggered, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, thereby bringing an alternation of slit, neck, and slit, as viewed transversely to the slits. By this construction we practically obtain all the independency of the wires or straps referred to, while at the same time the sheet or blanket is a coherent whole perfectly capable of being removed and replaced without trouble or delay.

Another feature of improvement is that of the obliqueness of direction of these lineal impression areas. We have found by experiment that when these lineal areas extend parallel with the sides of the form,and hence inline with many of the prevailing printinglines, the work is much less perfectly performed and the paper liable to be embossed along such lines; but by having said areas oblique to the sides of the form this tendency is overcome.

Still another important point is that of having the lineal areas out of lateral contact one with the other in order to prevent frictional interference with each other and a consesequent lessening of their independency of yielding. To this end the slits 3 are made of an appreciable width either by means of a punch adapted therefor or by means of a process set forth in an application filed herewith and designated as Case K.

The metallic cushioning-plate (illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5) consists of a resilient sheet 10, finely corrugated and slit in substantially the same manner as the impression-sheet. These slits may run in the direction shown or at right angles thereto, the main point being that the slits permit the corrugations to yield elastically without a tendency to crawling, which often otherwise occurs. The main difficulty with this cushion, however, is that the crests of the corrugations are necessarily so separated as to give insufficient support between the same to the impression-plate 2.

Another construction is that shown in Figs.

4 and 6, where the resilience is obtained by punching a series of slightly-flexed tongues 11 in an otherwise perfectly-plane sheet of spring brass or steel 10. These tongues being opposite in direction prevent any tendency to creeping, while the sheet or plate 10 itself thoroughly supports the impressionsurface.

The construction of impression surface illustrated in Fig. 4 differs from that already described simplyin having the slits 3 arranged in groups, the slits of one group being out of parallel with the slits in the groups adjoining.

As before stated, the separate straps or wires 1 (shown in Figs. 11 to 13) are difficult to replace when removed and are, furthermore, somewhat liable to creep laterally,- thereby leaving gaps at one or more points, for it is objectionable to stretch the wires so tightly together side by side as to interfere with their independency of action. This we have practically overcome by the construction indicated in Fig. 13, where 3* represents a means for fastening sets of the wires together at staggered points. Such means may be simply solder or a few strands of very fine wire woven into the wires 1. Furthermore, quite a practical blanket results when such fine wires are woven in with the entire stretch of the wires 1, as shown at 3 In Figs. 7 and 8 is illustrated a somewhat enlarged section of our slit-sheet impressionsurface, the same being magnified in order to show that there is preferably a recognizable width to the slots 3. This is desirable for the purpose of rendering the lineal areas or elements 1 incapable of aifecting each other by too much friction between their adjacent edges, but is not essential. On the contrary, it is necessary that these slots should be as fine as possible, and thereby not require any appreciable bridging-sheet over the same. The cushion here shown is supposed to be a sheet of soft rubber 10 of comparatively slight thickness.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 9 the slots or slits 3 are arranged in two sets, the slots of each set parallel with each other, but the slots of one set being substantially perpendicular to the slots of the other set. This sheet contains many of the advantages of the one above described, the elements 1 thereof being substantiallyindependent of each other and united at intervals only. The peculiar quality possessed by this sheet is that of a slight elongation in any direction, and hence tensionally resilient even when made from a practically non extensible material. This construction is more fully disclosed and claimed in an application of George S. Heath, filed herewith and designated as Case L. This sheet, as well as that shown in Fig. 7, has the edges of its elements 1' arranged out of parallel with the prevailing printing-lines of the form, since, as shown, they are oblique to the sides of the sheet,and hence of the press.

It should be observed that the independently-yielding lineal areas 1 are quite narrow and arranged absolutely without reference to the elements of the printing-surfaces which may coact therewith. In other words, the same blanket entirely without change in position on the press can be used with any typema'tter set up in the forms, no matter how it Varies in width, length, or otherwise or whether type-matter or cuts.

' One other important point which we have discovered is that in regard to the cushion 10. This should be put under a greater or less degree of compression in order to increase its resilience and quickness of recovery after application of printing pressure. We apply this compression by tightly stretching the elements 1 over the cylinder either as shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 11.

Our means for tightly stretching the elements 1 about the cylinder 5 consists of two blocks fastened to the edges of said elements and secured within the longitudinal groove in the periphery of said cylinder, as shown in Fig. 1.

The modifications of our invention illustrated in Figs. 15 and 16 comprise a multiplicity of narrow slightly-resilient elongated elements orlineal areas supported upon an elastic cushion, as set forth and claimed in companion applications designated as Cases B and H. The distinction between this and our preferred construction consists chiefly in the elements of the latter being hard but more or less flexible, while the element shown in Figs. 15 and 16 is only very slightly resilient, and hencecapable of retaining its curved shape with the least possible departure therefrom when pressed against the printing-surface. The elastic cushion shown in said two figures is formed by a plurality of fluid-pressure bags 10, supported by a cylinder 5, a construction which is disclosed and claimedin companion application designated as Case G.

The lineal elements 1 are represented as sinuous laterally in Fig. 15, and hence capable of presenting adjacent edges out of parallel with the prevailing printing'lines of the form, a function which is also accomplished by the helical wind of the elements indicated in Fig. 16.

By the terms independent and independently yielding, used herein, is meant not necessarily complete and absolute independence, but only such degree of independence as substantially attains under the printing pressures, the described operation, and result.

The impression-surface herein described may in practice be overlaid by one or more thicknesses of Manila or other paper or by the thin and more or less hard but resilient bridging-sheets of the art, or by both, or by other covering device more or less modifying the action of the impression-surface, so long as that impression-surface under the printing pressure employed exerts substantial influence through such covering parts upon the printing in the way and with the character of result herein described. What we claim as our invention, and for which we desire Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit: V r

l. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface 'consti tuted by a multiplicity of closely-disposed, independently-yielding, narrow lineal areas disposed independently of the elements of the printing-surface but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, substantially as set forth.

' 2. The combination with a suitable print ing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a multiplicity of closely-disposed, independently-yielding, narrow lineal areas disposed independently of the elements of the printing-surface but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, one

of said surfaces being curved, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of a curved impression-surface constituted by a'multiplicity of closely-disposed, independently-yielding, narrow lineal areas disposed independently of the elements of the printing-surface but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, substantially as set forth.

4.. Thecombination with a suitable printing-surface, of a revoluble cylindrical impression-surface constituted by a multiplicity of closely disposed, independently yielding, narrow lineal areas disposed independently of the elements of the printing-surface but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a suitable printfing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a multiplicity of closely-disposed,

independently-yielding, narrow lineal areas disposed independently of the elements of the printing-surface but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, and an underlying cushion, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a suitable printing-form, of an impression-surface comprising a multiplicity of closely-disposed, independently-yielding, narrow lineal areas, the abutting edges of which are out of parallel with the prevailing printing-lines of the form, but coinciding for their entire length with said form, and an underlying cu'shiou, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-s11 rface comprising a multiplicity of independent, narrow lineal areas disposed independently of the elements of the printing-surface, but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, and an underlying,uniformlyresilient cushion, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a suitable printing-form, of an impression-surface comprising a multiplicity of closely disposed, independently-yielding, narrow lineal areas, the abutting edges of which are out of parallel with 9. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface com prising a multiplicity of independently-yieldthe prevailing printing-lines of the form but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, substantially as set forth.

&

ing, narrow lineal areas disposed independently of the elements of the printing-surface but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, said areas being out of parallel with the prevailing printing-lines of the printing-surface, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface comprising a multiplicity of independent, narrow lineal areas disposed independently of the elements of the printing-surface but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, and a yielding support for said impression-surface, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination with a suitable print ing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a multiplicity of independent, areas, the abutting edges of adjacent areas being parallel with each other but out of parallel with the prevailing printing-lines of the printing-surface but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, and a yielding support for said impression-surface, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by elements presenting a multiplicity of independently-yielding lineal. areas, adj acent elements being united at intervals but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, substantially as set forth.

13. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by elements presenting a multiplicity of practically independent areas united at intervals but coinciding for their entire length with said impression-surface, and an underlying cushion, substantially as set forth.

14. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a multiplicity of narrow hard ele ments located side by side and each united at intervals to those adjoining, said points of juncture being relatively staggered, and an underlying cushion for said impression-surface, substantially as set forth.

15. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a thin, hard, resilient sheet slit at short intervals, and an underlying cushion for said sheet, substantially as set forth.

16. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a thin, hard, resilient sheet slit at frequent intervals, and an underlying, uniformly-resilient cushion, substantially as set forth.

17. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a hard, resilient sheet slit into narrow elements united at intervals, and an underlying cushion for said sheet, substantially as set forth.

18. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a hard, resilient sheet slit into narrow elements united at intervals, and an underlying, uniformly-resilient cushion, substantially asset forth.

19. The combination with a suitable print ing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a comparatively thin, hard, resilient sheet slit into narrow elements united at intervals staggered with respect to each other, and an underlying cushion for said sheet, substantially as set forth.

20. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a comparatively thin, hard, resilient sheet slit into narrow elements united at intervals staggered with respect to each other, and an underlying, uniformly-elastic cushion, substantially as described.

21. The combination with a printing-form, of an impression-surface constituted by a resilient sheet slit into substantially independent sections united at intervals, the abutting edges of said sections being parallel with each other and out of parallel with the prevailing printing-lines of said form; and an underlying cushion for said. sheet, substantially as set forth.

22. The combination with a suitable printing-form,of an impression-surface constituted by a resilient sheet slit into narrow parallel elements united at intervals, said elements being out of parallel with the prevailing lines of said form; and an underlying cushion for said sheet, substantially as set forth.

23. The combination with a suitable printing-form,of an impression-surface constituted by a comparatively thin, resilient sheetof metal slitinto narrow parallel elements united at intervals staggered with respect to each other, said elements being out of parallel with the prevailing printing-lines of said form; and

a rubber cushion underlying said sheet, substantially as set forth.

24. The combination with a suitable printing-surface, of an impression-surface constituted by a comparatively thin sheet of hard brass slit into narrow elements united at intervals, and an underlying, uniformly-elastic cushion, substantially as set forth.

25. The combination with a suitable printing-form,of an impression-surface constituted by a hard, resilient sheet slit into narrow parallel elements; an underlying cushion therefor, and a cylindrical support for said cushion, substantially as set forth.

26. The combination with a suitable printing-form,of an impression-surface constituted by a comparatively thin, hard, resilient sheet slit into parallel elements united at intervals; an underlying cushion therefor; a cylindrical support for said cushion,and means for tightly stretching said sheet upon said cushion, substantially as set forth.

27. The combination with a suitable printing-form,of an impression-surface constituted by a comparatively thin, hard, resilient sheet 1o metalslitintonarrowparallelelements united Witnesses: V

p at intervals staggered with respect to each LEON M. ABBOTT,

- other, said elements being out of parallel with A. B. UPHAM.

the prevailing printing-lines of said form; an underlying cushion for said sheet, and a cylindrical support for said cushion, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing invention we have hereunto set our hands this 24th day of April, 1900. y

MELVIN L. SEVERY. GEORGE S. HEATH.

slit into parallel elements united at intervals; an underlying cushion forsaid sheet, and a cylindricalsupport for said cushion; said parallel elements being out of parallel with the prevailing printing-lines of said form, subl stantially as set forth. a l 28. The combination with a suitable printing-form,ofanimpression-surface constituted by a comparatively thin, resilient sheet of 

